Commuting by bicycle is getting more and more popular by the day. This upward trend is the most pronounced in our cities where a large section of commuters are time poor, cash sensitive and body conscious. The bike offers a way of killing three birds with one stone. Others though wouldn’t mind extra cash and time (who wouldn’t) but actually propelling a vehicle with their own energy leaves them breaking out in a sweat. Enter hybrid electric bikes
These allow the commuter to pedal when he or she wants but when things are getting a little strenuous allow the battery to take over. A number of car makers have got in on the act with the likes of Audi, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz t to name but a few. Adding their big recognisable brand name to bicycles and more recently hybrid electric powered bicycles dubbed ‘ebikes.’
Peugeot have joined the ranks of their automotive counterparts with their Allure range and have just released a new addition, the AE21. It’s a compact hybrid electric bicycle which uses a lithium-ion battery cleverly integrated into the bike’s aluminium frame.
These hybrid bikes have yet to really make an impact on the commuter bike market. However the way fuel and transport costs are going they could make a really convenient alternative especially for short commutes. Stay tuned for the price of the AE21 which has yet to be announced.